Rock The Garden Highlights

We couldn't have had more perfect weather for the show. At 4:30, it was still close to 80 degrees with strong summer solstice sunshine. Overall, I really enjoyed the show itself. Being the first "Rock The Garden" concert in 4 years, I do think the event planning team is a little rusty on their logististics, however. Poor planning for people movement, concessions, and bathrooms. They also negated to use a large field to the left of the stage, which would have been the perfect spot to sit or stand to hear the music.

Bon Iver: I love their music, and I think they have a bright future. I had a hard time getting amped up during their performance because their music is so mellow. I would have preferred sitting in a coffee shop hearing them than standing up with the masses. While part of their musical attraction is that the instrumentation is simple and raw, I think they need a few more instruments. They played most of the tracks from their album, and they all sounded great.

Cloud Cult: I had heard one of their songs on the radio and was just so-so about them. Plus, it was still pretty hot when they went on, so we decided to take a breather and sit on the hill by the side of the stage. We were hoping that we could still hear the music clearly, but it was distorted and difficult to decipher. Perhaps we missed out, because I've been reading people's posts saying they were the best performance of the day.

The New Pornographers: Disclaimer - No NEKO!! I was a little disappointed that she wasn't performing with the band, but she's probably outgrown them with her obviously blooming solo career. That said, they were my favorite performance of the show. They closed with Spanish Techno (my favorite one), Bleeding Heart Show, and a cover of Don't Bring Me Down (by Electric Light Orchestra).

Andrew Bird: I've had never heard him perform before, and I was impressed. His sound is totally unique, with the violin looping and whistling, and I liked the way all his songs sounded. Halfway into the set, the clouds became very ominous ( a la Raiders of the Lost Ark when everyone melted) and they pulled the band from the stage for a 10 minute hiatus. We took that as our cue to leave, as we were pretty hungry and tired.
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My next concert is Drive By Truckers on July 2. Can't wait.